United States

By Dunn Neugebauer

WELLINGTON — The USA Field Hockey Festival returns to South Florida today through Sunday at the Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington.

Not only will the event feature several Olympians, but it has attracted the largest amateur field in its history.


"We're expecting some 3,500 athletes to participate," USA Field Hockey public information director Howard Thomas said. "We always love returning to Florida. The fields are beautiful, the atmosphere is great; we just hope the weather holds out."

Palm Beach County has hosted the event six times, though in 2002 and 2003 it was held in Palm Springs, Calif.

"We like to switch it around since we have teams from both coasts," Thomas said.

The Women's Age Group (Under 16 and Under 19), Women's Open and Mixed (co-ed) divisions will feature 226 teams. Five teams are entered from the Miami area, one in the Youth 16, another in the Open and three in the mixed.

The largest division will be the Under 19, with 140 teams competing for 20 pool championships. USA Field Hockey has instituted a new qualifying procedure that gives teams that win their pools an automatic invitation to next year's event. Also, teams with a five-year history of consecutive appearances (prior to 2004) get a bid.

In the Open Division, U.S. Olympians such as Tracey Fuchs ('88 and '96), Marcia Pankratz ('88 and '96), Diane Madl ('96), Pam Bustin ('96), Liz Tchou ('96), Katie Beach ('96) and Laurel Martin ('96) are just some of the big names on hand.

In 1981, the festival adopted its multi-divisional format, which draws and introduces tournaments for high school players, clubs and open teams.

The event also gives teenage players some exposure in front of college coaches and gives all participants the opportunity to play competition from across the world. Besides the U.S. performers gathered from 23 states, several teams from British Columbia also are entered.

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